Happy Sunday Everyone:
Took my mom to coffee/breakfast yesterday morning. Local spot, eclectic, killer bakery, coffee, high quality food. We wait in line, order, find our spot, sit down, and wait. I noticed the busser, super happy, saying hi to everyone, petting dogs, really engaged. Our drinks/food arrive, I get up to get silverware and some water (that’s how it’s set-up), he’s refilling the water jug while I’m up, I say “thank you”, he looks me straight in the eyes “my pleasure sir, thanks for coming in”. I’m thinking…wow, this dude swallowed a happy pill today, but I’m also thinking this guy is impressive. 20 minutes later my mom and I are finishing up with our food. He comes over, asking if he can take stuff away. My mom asks for a box for the remaining 1/2 of the best english muffin you’ve ever had. She then asks if they have any of their home-made potato chips (bagged). He goes and looks, comes back and says “mam, we have one left”. I get up to grab it as it’s sitting where all the people are checking out for their orders. He then goes and gets me the box while I’m standing in line, brings it back and says, “I wanted to make sure you didn’t have to get out of line”. I said “wow, thank you, I appreciate it”…As he’s walking away, he turns around and says “no, thank you, we appreciate you, you’re the lifeline of our business, not just you (with a smile) but everyone here today”. I pay for the chips, head back to the table, pack up and leave. We’re just about out, he’s bussing a table next to the exit, looks up and says, “have a great day, enjoy the chips and the rest of that muffin”. My mom and I were both blown away by this guy. I have no idea if he was hired to be the busser or if he owned the restaurant.
In hindsight, I should have asked if he owned the place because if he didn’t own the place, whoever the owner is should know what they have in this guy. Real time-I’m googling, it doesn’t appear he owns it. I’ll call in and share my experience, he deserves it (I promise).
So, my lessons from the busser:
- People come back when they know you care. There is another restaurant, totally different type of place, killer food, owner is cold as ice. If the food ever stopped being great, I’d stop going immediately. You almost go there in spite of the owner. Goes back to “because of, or in spite of”. I’d go back to the breakfast spot because of how they make me feel, in addition to great food, I go to the other spot in spite of how they make me feel. One gets a 2nd and 3rd chance, the other does not. We talk about it as a team “do our clients and business partners know we care? if so, how?”.
- Empower your people. Ritz Carlton has a policy where every single employee (including a busser) can spend up to 2K without involving a manager to solve a customer problem (look it up if you don’t believe me). How is that related to this guy, it’s not, except to say that he is clearly empowered by his employer. When I can’t tell if he owns the place or not because of the level of care, energy, effort, he gave my mom and me, I’d say he’s empowered.
- Hire the right people. This guy would make any owner proud. This guy should be proud of his own efforts. This guy takes pride in what he does. This guy had an impact on a customer’s day. What else is there in a service-related business for the ideal team member?
- The right team member is infectious-When I first met him at the water cooler, after we exchanged words, he opened the door to the kitchen for another employee, she walked in and as she passed, he said “i love that sweatshirt”. I swear this all happened. Big smile from her w/ a thank you. You’re probably thinking 2 things, did this really happen? and is hunter going a little overboard. Answer is, yes it did, and maybe I am, but this guy made my day in the moment, and made me reflect after. Great people will make other people better. Crap people will make other people worse. Asset or a Liability every moment at work. Whether you know it or not, people are making that determination on you.
Lots to learn from the busser on client experience. I so prefer the word client to customer. My dad used to tell me “Clients finance their home through you, customers by a hot dog from you”.
Have a great rest of your Sunday.